Typewriting machine



Dec; 31, 1929; A B. aml 1,741,690

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3. 1928. 2 sheets-sneer 1 De.31, 1929. l ABELY `1,'7411590 TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3, 1928 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR lTTORNEYS Patented Dec. 3l, 1929 UNTED STATES PATENT oFFicE ALONZO B. ELY, OF GROTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO L C SMITH 8c CORONA TYPE- WRITERS INC., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TYPEWRITING MACHINE v Application filed August 3, 1928.

rThis invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines and more particularly to the type actions thereof.

One object ot the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for adjusting the tension of all of the restoring springs ot' the type actions.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide simple and compact variable tension restoring means for the type actions whereby the restoring forces of all the key levers may be increased or decreased a uniform extent.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable anchoring means for all the restoring springs of the type actions and supporting means for said adjustable anchoring means consisting ot' a small number of parts and comprised entirely of sheet metal stampings and screws but which will afford a secure anchorage for the entire system ot' restoring springs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a type action restoring spring adjusting means particularly adapted for low or lint portable typewriting machines such as the Corona Four.

The invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings in its preferred embodiment, in connection with the Corona vFour portable typewriting machine, but 1t will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other machines and that changes indetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope-of the invent-ion.v

In the drawings: j

Figure l is a central. longitudinal sectionl vicwbt' a Corona Four typewriting machine provided with a variable tension type action restoring means constructed in accordance. with the present invention, certain parts of the machine (including all the type actions except one central action) boing omitted for clearness ofillustration;

Fig. 2 a fragmentary bottom view ot the machine looking thereat perpendicular to the plane ot the downwardly and rearwardly `inclined bottom plate of the carriage bed with the intermediate transversepartition wall of the main trame in a vertical plane;

Serial No. 298,358.

Fig. 3 a fragmentary vertical longitudinal Fig. 7 a perspective view of the lixed bracket and its adjustably connected springanchor-bar-supporting slide bar at the left 'hand side of the machine.

The low flat main frame of the machine is formed as an integral cast-ing and consists oi the side walls l, front wall 2, rear wall 3, and a transverse partition wall 4. The front wall is formed with a horizontal liange 6 provided adjacent opposite sides of the machine with key-hole slots in which are engaged the reduced intermediate portions of the two front supporting rubber feet 150 of the machine. The iat partition wall 4 inclincs upwardly and rearwardly at an angle of 80o to the vertical and its lower edge is above the level of the lower edges oi the other frame walls.

The type bar segment 9 is secured to the front face of wall 4 and is provided with the usual rad'al slots 13 in which the type bars 17 are pivotally mounted on the usual arcuate pivot wire 14. The segment and wire lie parallel with wall 4 and the heads of the type bars are supported on an upwardly and rearwardly inclined type rest 472 mounted lon bracket arms 47 O forming parts oi brackets 193 held to side walls l by suitable screws.

The type bars carry upper' and lower case types and are supported as described in an arcuate system normally s'lanting upward and forward. The heels of the type bars are connected by links 2l with the rear arms of an arcuate system of bellcrank sub-levers 23, these sub-levers being pivoted on a curved pivot wire 24 in a radially slotted segment, 25 which lies in a horizontal plane below the type bars with its concave edge facing rearwardly and is secured at its ends to side walls 1 of the main frame. The forward arms of the sub-levers 23 are connected by vertical links 32 with the key levers 34.

The key levers (of which there are fortytwo sup-porting the keys in four banks in the Corona machine) are guided in a slotted comb and have stop portions, as 35, normally engaging the under face of a cushion stop padA 33 cemented on the under side of a horizontal portion 39 of comb 49. Comb 40' is provided with lugs 41 at its ends whichl abut the inner faces of walls 1 and are fastened to said walls by screws 42. The keys are supported on the upstanding stem portions of the key levers, and the main portions of the key levers extend substantially horizontally rearward from the stems under segment 25 and partition wall 4 and then upward and rearward immediately behind said wall. The rear upper ends of the key levers are pivotally supported adjacent the upper edge of wall 4 on'a transverse fulcrumwire 51 supported inpunched out loops 52 along the under side of the rearwardly bent upper edge portion 53 of a sheet metal plate 54 the main flat body portion of which is secured to the rear face of wall 4 by suitable screws, as shown.

The platen 301 is supported for impact of the types on the upper front quarter thereof, and for case-shift movement in a plane parallel with wall 4. @n eac-h of the side walls 1, just back of wall 4, asheet metal bracket 132 secured by screws 133 and 134 which pass inwardly through the wall and enter holes 135 and 135 respectively in the bracket. Screw 133 is threaded directly into threaded hole 135 in the bracket, while screws 134, after passing through the non-threaded holes 13G in. the bracket, are screwed into threaded holes in a sheet metal raceway member 133 which is provided with a lf-shaped groove or ball raceway 139 lying parallel #ith wall 4.

Brackets 132 are each provided with an inwardly projecting lng 143 disposed fiatwise in a horizontal plane and formed with a keyhole 149 inwhich slots are engaged the reduced intermediate portions of the two rear rubber supporting feet 150 of the machine. These brackets are also formed with inward-ly bent lugs 151 lying flatwise in a plane perpendicular to wall 4 and supporting two lower ease stop screws 152 which cooperate with two rearwardly projecting lugs 154- formed on a pair of sheet metal shift frame ln'ackets 155.

Brackets 155 are securedl by screws 156 to the under side the carriage bed 157 adjacent opposite ends of the bed and are connected. at their lower ends `by a tie rod 162. Brackets 155 are provided with` raceway fla-n 'es 163 lying in fore and aft extending planes opp-este races 139 ra-cewayinem- 171 parallel with races 139 and cooperating therewith to form races for ball bearings 172. The lower case stop screws 152 and shift frame stop lugs 154 limit downward movement of the shift frame, and the upper case shifting movement of the shift frame is limited by' stop screws 173 secured to brackets 155 and adapted to engage the under side of rearwardly projecting lugs 173 formed on inwardly projecting. arms 179 of brackets 132.

The platen carriage 221 is mounted on the -arriage bed 157 forming part of the shift frame. A rock shaft 130 is provided with forwardly' projecting rock arms 131 carrying laterally projecting studs 132 engaged in transverse slots 133 inthe raceway flanges of brackets 155. Shaft 139 is journalled 0n pivot screws 134 threaded'L through walls 1. Righ-t and left hand shift key levers 139 are fulcrumed on pivot screws 191 secured in ears 85 192 of the two brackets 193 whichsupport the type bar rest, the rear arms of the levers extending through suitable apertures in wall 4 and having forked rear ends197 in which are' engaged studs 1821011 the rock arms 131.

rlhe foregoing parts are all constructed as in the Corona Four machine. The improved key lever restoring means will now be described. Each of the brackets 132 is formed with an integral arm lying iiatwise in a y vertical fore and aft extending plane parallel with the adjacent side wall 1 of the main frame, said arms being slightly offset inward from said walls 1 and the main body portions of the brackets, as shown. These arms 55 extend forwardly and downwardly under wall 4 to points at the lower edges of the adjacent side walls of the main frame a substantial distance forward of the plane of wall 4 and the lower ends of the upturncd rear portions of the key levers and materially below the level of the main substantially horizontal portions of the key levers.

Each arm 55 is provided with a pair of threaded screw holes 56 and 57, said holes being located adjacent rthe opposite ends of the arm. A flat sheet metal slide bar 53 is adjustablv held to each arm 55 for substantially endwise sliding adjustment fore and aftof the machine, each slide bar lvingflat against the inner face its supporting bracket arm 55 and projecting forward and downward beyond the forward end of the arm in all adjusted positions of the slide bar, the projecting forward end of the slide bar being formed with a longitudinal slot 59 open at the forward end of the bar and terminating short of the forward end of the bracket arm in all adjusted positions of thev slide bar. Each slide bar is preferably provided with two substantially longitudinally extending closed sl'ots 60 and 61, slot 61 being located adjacent the rear e'n'd of the slide barrand slot 30 beingv located' in the forward half of bers 133 and are irovided with raceway slots the slide bar between' slot 61 and' slot '59.

A combined guiding and locking screw 62 is provided for each slide bar and has its threaded shank passing outwardly through slot in the bar and screwed into the screw hole 56 of the adjacent bracket arm '55 The shank of screw 62 is of uniform diameter from its outer or non-headed end to and through slot 60 and its diameter substantially corresponds with the width of said slot. A second guide screw 63 is provided for each slide bar, this second screw preferably being a non-locking or non-clamping screw, as shown. This non-locking guide screw 655 has an enlarged non-threaded or shoulder portion adjacent its head, passing through slot 6l of the slide bar and abutting at its outer end the fiat vertical inner face of arm 55, and a threaded outer end portion screwed into screw hole 57 of said arm, the length of the shouldered portion of screw 63 corresponding with or being slightly greater than the thickness of the slide bar so that the bar may slide endwise without loosening screw 63 when locking screw G2 is slightly backed out of bar clamping position. 0

A flat sheet metal anchor bar 64 is provided for the restoring springs of the type actions said bar being rigidly supported by, but separably interlocked with, the adjustable slide bars 58 in the construction shown. Anchor bar 64 is engaged with the slide bars by sliding the anchor bar edgewise rearwardly into the open forwardly facing slots or notches 59 in the forward end edges of slide bars 58, which notches correspond in width with the thickness of the anchor bar. The rear edge of the anchor bar is `preferably provided with two notches 65 adjacent opposite ends of the bar into which those portions of the slide bars adjacent the closed ends of slots 59 pass when the anchor bar is pushed home into slots 59.V Endwise and up and down movements of the anchor bar relatively to the slide bars are prevented by the sepan able interlocking connections just described.

The anchor bar 64 is connected with the key levers Sil by helical tension restoring springs 66 for the type actions in the construction shown, the tension of said springs holding the bar 64: in place, i. e., drawn fully back to the rear ends of slots 59, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. As shown, bar Gel is provided with a longitudinal row of anchor holes 67 adjacent its rear edge, and the forward hook ends of springs 66 pass through these anchor holes, the rear hook ends of the springs passing through holes 68 in pendent lugs 69 formed on the key levers 3.4 at the junction of the main horizontal portions and upturned rear end portions of the key levers.

Another bar 64 extends flatwise entire system of key levers, below the main horizontal portions of said levers, well for ward of lugs 69 and preferably somewhat bef under the low the level of the lower pierced ends of said lugs, so that the axial lines of the springs 66 extend fore and aft of the machine at a slight forward and downward inclination, This arrangement affords ample clearance for the overlying portions of the key levers which have a relative-ly short dip when the keys are depressed by reason of the angular formation. and high pivotal axis of the key levers, the lugs 69 also having a substantially rearward movement when the keys are de# pressed by reason of this key lever formation and pivoting. The guide slots in the slide bars are arranged to guide the anchor bar to move substantially lengthwise of the springs during.adjustment and, preferably, are so arranged (as shown) that the anchor bar is maintained in a path parallel with the normal axial lines of the springs during adjustment and is adapted to be locked by t-he lockscrews at different points along such path to vary the power of the springs.

The construction shown is such that the tension may be adjusted by slightly unscrewing but one screw of each pair, i. e., the combined locking and guide screws 62,` the heads of all four screws cooperating with bracket arms 55 to prevent lateral cocking of the interlocked anchor and slide bar structure during adjustment as well as when the anchor bar is locked in adjusted position. The shanks of the screws guide the adjustable parts to shift inra fixed path and prevent up and down movements thereof at all times. The inclined arrangement of the arms 55 and bars 58 and the arrangement whereby only one screw of each pair is required to be unscrewed and screwed up in effecting adjustment is advantageous in the machine shown since the locking screws may thus be located out of line with any part ofthe key levers or t-he shift frame, so that a screw driver may be readily engaged with the heads of saidlocking screws.

What I claim is:

l. In a typewriting machine, a main frame, a system of type actions including a system of actuating key levers fulcrumed on the main frame, a pair of attachment brackets for main frame supporting feet rigidly held to the main frame adjacent opposite sides of the machine, a system of helical tension springs each connected at one end with a'different one of said key levers, an anchor member extending transversely of the machine to which the opposite ends of all the springs are connected, and means forming an adjustable connection between said anchor member and said brackets adapted to support said member from the brackets in different adjusted positions lengthwise of the springs in all of which the normal aXial line of each spring remains constant.

2. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of character key levers, helical tension return springs therefor cach positively connected at one end with a diilerent one ot said levers, an anchor bar extending transversely of the levers to which all the spr are connected at their other ends, a pair of cndwise adjustable slide bars having open slots at one end in which the anchor bar is held adjacent opposite ends oit the anchor bar' by the tension ot the springs, means limiting the return movements ol the key levers, and means for locking` the slide bars to the main 'trame in dilierent endwise adjusted positions.

8. In a typewriting` machine, a .main tra-nie, a plurality ol character key levers tulcrumed in the main trame, helical tension springs tor restoring the key levers positively connected at one end with the key levers, means on the main traine for limiting return movement ot the key levers, an anchor bar with which all ot said springs are positively con eted at their other ends, and adjustable sunporting means for said anchor bar on the main frame having open seats in which the bar is held by the tension of the springs. n

t.- ln a typewriting machine, a main frame, a plurality of character key levers l,ulcrumed on the main frame, helical tension sjnings for restoring the key levers positively connected at one end with the key levers, means on the main frame for limiting return movement ot the key levers, an anchor bar with which all of said springs are positively connected at their other ends, adj tistable supportin means for said anchor bar on the main trame havin open seats in which the bar is held by the tension ot the springs, and means for ginding said supportinfr means to move in a fixed path substantially longitudinally of the springs. Y

5. In a typewriting machine, a mam trame, a plurality ot character key levers ulcrur 'l in the main frame, helical tension springs tor restoring the key levers positively connected at one end with the key levers, means on the main trame for limiting return movement ot the kev levers, an anchor )er with which all et said shrines positively cor iet-ted at their other ends, adjustable supporting means .tor said anchor bar on the n :in trame having open seats in which the bar is held bv the tension ot the springs, and means for locking said sugiporting` means to the main 'trame in ditlerent adjusted j'iositions and guiding' said supporting means during adjustment thereof to shift the anchor bar in a path parallel with the axial lines ot the restoring springs.

G. ln typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a system of key levers tulcrulmed on thev main frame, a pair of brackets rigidly held in the main frame at 0j posite sides of the machine adjacent the rearendot themain frame, a pair of independent slide members, one associated with each bracket, said associated brackets and slide members having abutting flat surface portions disposed in a vertical plane extending fore and att of the main frame, a system of tension restoring springs for the keylevers, a spring anchor bar extending transversely of the machine, each' of said springs being positively connected at one end witha key lever and at its other end with the anchor bar, said slide members supporting said bar adjacent its ends and each having a pair of guide slots therein spaced apart endwise oit the slots and extending substantially longitudinally oit the springs, said brackets each having a pair of threaded holes therein registering with a pair of slots of the abutting slide member, a combined locking and guide screw for each slide member having a threaded shank extending through one slot in said member and threaded into the registering hole in the bracket, and a non-locking guiding screw for each slide member having a threaded extremity threaded into the other hole in the bracket and a non-threaded shoulder portion extending through the other slot in the slide member.

7. ln a typewriting machine having a rigid framework, the combination o a system of key levers fulcrumed on the trame work, a system et helical tension restoring springs, a sheet metal spring anchor bar, said springs positively connected at their opposite ends to said key levers and anchor bar, a pair of sheet metal slide bars extending substantially lengthwise ot the springs adjacent opposite sides of the machine and having-slots extending inward from one end thereof into which said anchor bar is drawn and held by the springs to support the anchor bar, said anchor bar having a pair of notches in one edge thereof adjacent opposite ends thereof the sides of each of which embrace the adjacent slide bar at the inner end ot the anchor bar supporting slot of the slide bar, each slide bar having a pair ot substantially longitudinally extending guide slots therein located at different points lengthwise of the har, a pair of sheet-metal brackets stationarily held to the rigid framework of the machine adjacent opposite sides of the machine and each' :formed with a llat portion disposed in a vertical fore and att plane and provided with two screw holes therein registering with the guide slots in the adjacent slide bar, and a pair oit' screws threaded into the screw-holes ol' each bracket for locking each slide bar {iatwise against said ilat portion of the adjacent bracket and guiding the bars to slide substantially longitudinally of the springs during adjustment, one screw of each pair having a non-shouldered shank passing through one slide bar slot and the other screw oi' each pair having a non-threaded enlarged shank portion passing through the other slide bar slot.

8. ln a typewriting machine having a rigid framework, the' combination of a system oli' .said key levers andA anchor bar, a pairof sheet metal slide bars extending substantially lengthwise of the springs adjacent opposite sides of the machine and having slots extending inward from one end thereof into which said anchor barA is drawn and held by the springs to support the anchor bar, said anchor bar having a pair of notches in one edge thereof adjacent opposite ends thereof, the sides of each of which embrace the adjacent slide bar at the inner end of the anchor bar supporting slot of the slide bar, and means for guiding said slide bars to move substantially endwise and locking said slide bars to the stationary frameworx in different endwise adjusted positions of the slide bars.

9. In a typewriting machine having a rigid framework, the combination of a system of key levers fulcruined on the framework, a system of helical tension restoring springs, a sheet metal spring anchor bar, said springs positively connected at their opposite ends to said key levers and anchor bar, a pair of sheet metal slide bars extending substantially lengthwise of the springs adjacent opposite sides of the machine and having slots extending inward from one end thereof into which said anchor bar is drawn and held by the springs to support the anchor bar, and means for guiding said slide bars to move substantially endwise and locking said slide bars in different endwise adjusted positions thereof to the stationary framework.

10. In a typewriting machine having a rigid framework, the combination of a system of key levers fulcrumed on the framework, a system of helical tension restoring springs, a sheet metal spring anchor bar, said springs positively connectedat their opposite ends to said key levers and anchor bar, a pair of sheet metal slide bars extending substantially lengthwise of the springs adjacent opposite sides of the machine and having slots extending inward from one end thereof into which said anchor bar is drawn and held by the springs to support the. anchor bar, and means for guiding said slide bars to nieve substantially endwise and locking said slide bars in diiferent endwise adjusted positions thereof to the stationary framework, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of headed screws `for each slide bar threaded into parts of the stationary framework and having shank portions extending through substantially longitudinally extending guide slots in the slide bars.

11. In a typewriting machine having a rigid framework, the combination of a system of key levers fulcrumed o n the framework, a system of helical tension restoring springs, a sheet-metal spring anchor bar, said springs positively connected at their opposite ends to said key levers and anchor bar,a pair of sheet metal slide bars extending substantially lengthwise of the springs adjacent opposite sides of the machine and having slots extending inward from one end thereof into which said anchor bar is drawn and held by the springs to support the anchor bar, means for guiding said slide bars to move substantially endwise and locking said slide bars in different endwise adjusted positions thereof to the stationary framework, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of headed screws for each slide bar threaded into parts of the stationary framework and having shank portions .extending through substantially longitudinally extending guide slots in the slide bars, one of said screws of each pair having a non-sliouldered threaded shank passing through a guide slot of the slide bar and the other screw having a shouldered shank the enlarged portion of which extends through a guide slot of the slide bar.

12. In a portable typewriting machine having a low or flat stationary framework, the combination of a system of type actions including actuating key levers having upturned rear end portions pivoted adjacent the top of the framework and substantially horif zontal portions extending forward from the lower ends of said rear portions to the keyboard, fore and aft extending helical tension restoring springs for the type actions connected at their rear ends with the key levers adjacent the junctions of said horizontal and upturned end port-ions of the key levers, an

anchor member with which the forward ends of said springs are connected extending under the horizontal portions of the key levers, a pair of slide members adjacent opposite sides of the framework having notches in their forward edges in which said anchor bar is held by the tension of the springs, said slide inembers having guide slots extending fore and aft of the machine, and means for guiding said slide bars and locking the saine to the framework comprising a pair of screws for each of the slide bars threaded into the framework with the shanks of each screw extending through a dilferent one of the guide slots of the associated slide bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ALONZO B. ELY. 

